extraction

I went to the dentist this morning.

Nice new building, and a big one. I’d been there before and knew that all of their xray equipment was the latest digital (latest when it was installed at least). My regular dentist works out of an old house and walks to work.

I had called ahead and was told the charge for extracting a tooth would be about $250, so I made sure I had that much in my checking account.

When I first got there they did a digital xray, just to make sure: “No extra charge.”

I get to stand on this pad, put my chin on a plastic rest, and hold a plastic knob in my mouth, as ridiculous to do as to describe. The operator steps around the corner and with her remote starts the project. Big hunks of metal swiveled around my head, and in about 10 seconds she was back to say “Thank You.”

Back in the reception room I waited another 30 or 40 minutes, then I was taken into the inner sanctum.

The dentist came in and looked at the x-rays, talked to me a bit and said it should be an easy extraction, and began. A “pinch” here and a “pinch” there and I was numb on this reclining chair with a big light into my eyes and arm rests that allowed a LOT of squeezing at times.

It did not go easy, and he worked hard. It took him longer than he expected, but it was eventually done. He shook my hand and disappeared. His side kick gave me instructions on what to do, gave me a prescription for a narcotic pain killer, and an envelope of “stuff.” “Call us at those numbers if there is any problem.”

He stuffed my mouth with packing of various sorts and sent me to the pay desk. The nice lady figured a bit and brought me out the bill. There was a sizable discount for paying on the spot and the final bill was $159. I could have hugged her! I said “thank you” through all of the packing.

When I got home I sat in my leather chair and it was cold in the house. Outside it was heading for 97, but I was so cold I put on a long sleeved shirt. Miriam took my temperature: 101. Hmm.

By then it was lunch time so we had thick Potato soup left from a couple days ago, saved just for this occasion. I reminded Miriam that when the cook is on a diet every one is on a diet, so she got to eat what I wanted to eat. She laughed and ate.

Later the pain was annoying at the least, so I took a couple of Ibuprofen, and before too long I began to sweat. My fever was gone and now I am at a “normal” temp. Now the room is warm!

And I felt pretty good, and HUNGRY. I had Miriam make me some strawberry jello for later.

Of course there is a hole where that tooth used to be. I guess I’ll go ahead and just fill it with money, but not for a bit.